Fortuity
by imhappy15
Summary: Mikan felt like this man was looking at her very soul. His stare was piercing. His eyes – bewitching. It was the first time she saw eyes with this shade of red. Crimson, more like it. The most beautiful eyes she's ever seen. 'How strange,' she thought. It was the first time she's seen it, but it felt oddly familiar – like she was home.
1. The Black Cat

**Fortuity**

Authors Note: Hello everyone! I'm back! I know it's been years and for that, I apologize. I know there is no excuse but I've been really busy. Asian parents, you know. Please give me another chance at this for I've been trying to gain back my _love_ for writing. Please give this one a chance! Thank you in advance. Oh and btw, no alices for this one. There would be references about it though.

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE! All characters from Gakuen Alice are owned by Higuchi Tachibana.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Be wary of black cats, little one."

Mikan whipped her head around, looking for the person who just spoke when her eyes finally settled on an old man sitting on the side of the street. 'Was he talking to me?' Seeing that everyone else was minding their own business in this busy street, she concluded that he really was talking to her.

And so she sat down beside him and asked him, "What did you mean by that, grandpa?"

She looked at the old man for a while but he made no sound. She noticed his clothes, dirty and tattered. He also had a cup filled with coins. Her heart went out for him. She always felt bad for old people begging at the streets. 'Ahh. That's so sad. I wonder what his life story is?'

A few more minutes passed with only silence between the two of them. Mikan tilted her head to the side, wondering if she was imagining it or not. Sighing, she buried her head between her knees. Was she starting to imagine things now? Even though the past few days have been rather hectic, she didn't think it would've come to this. She's been through worse but she never started imagining people talking to her. Had she gone mad this time?

No, no. That's not it.

Shaking her head, she stood up and dusted the dirt off of her skirt. She looked back at the old man.

"Grandpa, if I see you again, I promise to treat you to a delicious meal! I want to do so now, but I'm rather short on cash. I'll see you again!" She turned around and was about to go her way when she heard him cough. She looked back at him, "Are you finally speaking to me, grandpa?"

The old man smiled as he looked at her. "Be wary of black cats, little one."

A-ha! So he really was talking to her! She wasn't just imagining it! "I'm glad that I wasn't just imagining it, but what's wrong with black cats? Is it about the superstition?"

The old man laughed out loud, "Do you believe in superstitions, little one?"

"Are you making fun of me, grandpa?" She smiled wistfully, "I've never been a superstitious person, but it was said that if a black cat crosses your path, then you're going to be unlucky. I don't want to be unlucky!" Maybe some other time, but no, not this time. She needs all the luck she can get!

"It's up to you young lady, about how you want to interpret what I said. I just want you to be careful."

'Wait a minute,' she thought. This grandpa sounded serious. What if the grandpa in front of her is a fortune teller or something? She's seen things like this in movies and dramas, about how people get warned about their future in the least possible way they'd expect!

Or maybe...

"Say... grandpa, can you see my future? Or perhaps, are you my guardian angel?" She asked nervously, fiddling with her fingers. The old man in front of her raised an eyebrow. After a moment passed, he just smiled.

He is?

Mikan blinked, then a sob escaped from her lips. She slumped to the ground. "I really need to be lucky! What should I do to be lucky? I don't have a job you see and I need to pay my bills! Plus I have to visit my grandfather soon, and I don't want him to know that the granddaughter he raised has been poor and jobless for almost a month now! And my best friend is not talking to me–"

The old man merely stared at the girl as she was talking. No, ranting to him is a better word to describe what she's doing at the moment. He mentioned something random to her at the start, something he usually does when he sees interesting people on the street. When she stayed and tried to talk to him, and even said that she'd treat him to a meal, he was surprised. Normally, the people who heard him would just go their own way. So he repeated his earlier comment to gauge her reaction and played with her for a bit. He didn't expect this kind of reaction at all!

He looked at her as she sighed, "Actually grandpa, I quit my job because my boss started to harass me! He said that I need to do him some quote-unqoute special favors if I want to get promoted! How dare he–"

With that mentioned, the old man observed her. She was pretty, without a doubt. She has a heart-shaped face and big brown eyes that young men would love to stare at. Her long brown locks curled naturally at the end. She was petite and thin, but not like the anorexic models he had occasionally seen in the news linked with his grandson. He watched her as she launched into an overly dramatic explanation of what had happened in her work. He shook his head, 'And all this started because she thought I can see her future.' He needed to clear up that misunderstanding. "Little one, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I cannot see your future. Nor am I your guardian angel."

"...and then he– What?"

"You misunderstood me."

Shit. Well that was embarrassing.

Mikan blushed and stared at the ground. "I'm sorry grandpa." Here she was thinking that she was finally saved from all the unfortunate things that has happened to her so far. But who was she kidding? What happens in movies would not happen to her in real life.

"It's okay. Are you feeling better now, young lady?"

She looked up and saw him smiling at her. Everything was bottled up inside her, and even if this old man wasn't her guardian angel, it felt refreshing being able to share all of that with someone else. She smiled sheepishly, "Yes! I'm feeling better. Thank you so much for listening to me– even if you were forced to endure all that." They laughed.

As she stood up from her position, she heard her phone chime indicating a message.

_Mikan. Meet now. My place. Expecting you in 30 minutes. -Hotaru_

YES!

Mikan jumped for joy. "Look grandpa!" She pointed at her phone and showed the old man that her best friend is finally talking to her. "My best friend hasn't talked to me for a while now but now she wants to see me! Maybe you really are my guardian angel! Ahhhh– I can see the light again!"

She was on cloud nine. Her best friend! She knew she needed to go now but then she suddenly remembered that she was talking to this grandpa. She can't just leave him like that, not after he listened to everything.

The old man saw that the girl he was talking to was conflicted about leaving him alone, and so he urged her to go immediately, "You will see me again little one, so go on and meet your best friend." He knew though that they may not see each other again.

She nodded, "I promise to visit you again grandpa! I'll bring a delicious meal and maybe next time, you can tell me about your story. I promise to return!" She waved goodbye, and ran off.

The old man smiled to himself as he watched her go. Then when he turned his head to the side, he saw a man wearing a suit walking towards him.

Well, time's up.

He took a deep breath. Then, he finally decided to stand up from the ground. The man stopped beside him and shook his head, "President, how long will you do this? You always disappear during your break time!"

"Bleh. I have no obligation on telling you my whereabouts, Tobita. I am paying you to do your job at the company and to not be my babysitter."

"But president! What if someone recognizes you? And where did you get that... that outfit?" he sighed, "Personally, I don't care about what you do on your break time sir. However, break time is already over an hour ago and you're almost late for your next meeting." Sometimes, Tobita wonders why the president of their company likes to dress up as a beggar. He's a millionaire for Christ's sake!

The old man laughed, "Anyway, I promised you, didn't I? That today's the last time I'll dress up like this." He let out a sigh, "Let's go, Tobita. I still have to change my clothes."

As both of them started to walk away, the old man's thoughts drifted to the girl he just met. Never had he met a girl of her age as interesting as her. He felt sorry that he lied to her. For all that time he spent pretending to be a beggar, no one has promised him a meal or even promised to visit him again. She would be a good match for his grandson. It's unfortunate that the chances of his grandson meeting her are next to nothing.

Oh how wrong he was.

.

.

.

"Where is he?" Mikan wondered as she scanned the place where she talked with the old man. She left a few minutes ago but went back because she forgot to introduce herself to him. She also wanted to know his name.

She asked around the vendors in the vicinity about him, but none of them noticed him leaving. Mikan scratched her head, confused. 'Where could he have gone?' She's searched the area but he was nowhere to be found!

A thought crossed her mind once more. What if he really was her guardian angel? And he was bluffing because she almost blew his cover! Mikan let out a giggle.

Then her phone rang. She quickly answered it once seeing it was Hotaru.

"Hotaru! I miss–"

"30 minutes have passed. You better have a good excuse for not being here on time. You'd need your guardian angel's blessing for it. Be here as soon as possible or you'll be paying for every minute you're late." _Click._

Mikan stared at her phone in disbelief. 'I am so dead.' She knew that Hotaru was serious. She has no time to waste. She groaned, "By tomorrow I really won't have money!" And so she ran to her destination.

.

As Mikan was running to her best friend's place, thanking the one above that she was only a couple of minutes away, she spotted something a few paces in front of her. A blur of black moving, crossing her path and going to the space in between two tall buildings to the left. She stopped in her tracks. Uh-oh.

"_Be wary of black cats, little one."_

"Is that... a black cat?" She gulped. No, she thought to herself. It was just a superstition. "No no no he was bluffing, remember? The grandpa a while ago was bluffing, Mikan." She laughed nervously, trying to convince herself that it was nothing. Still, she couldn't help but check if it really was a black cat. And so she started walking towards the alleyway and stopped upon reaching it.

Great.

'Do I have to go inside this dark alley just to check if there really is a cat?' She shook her head and laughed at how silly she was, "It was a superstition. Also, black cats are really lucky for some– hmphrrrhpp"

Before she can even finish her sentence, a hand covered her mouth and she felt herself getting pulled in by someone inside the dark alley. She struggled as she was pushed against the wall.

'Is this it?' Mikan thought. Tears started to form in her eyes. She didn't want things to end like this! She has dreams and goals! She was still picking herself up from the recent misfortunes that happened to her! If only she didn't think of following that black cat, she probably would've been at Hotaru's apartment by now. 'This can't happen to me.'

"Stop struggling!" a male voice growled, probably the voice of her captor.

Who wouldn't struggle in this situation? Mikan's eyes darted back and forth around the alley, adjusting to the darkness, and trying to find a way to escape. "Mhrrrmph! Hrrmppphh!" She kept on flailing her limbs around to push away her captor.

The male holding her hostage saw how scared she looked and cursed under his breath, "Okay little girl. I'm not going to do anything against you. I'm going to let you go now, okay? Just stay with me for a while and listen."

When he let go of her, Mikan screamed. "What the hell were you trying to do to me?"

The guy immediately shushed her, "I'm not a bad guy." He looked around and glanced at the street where they came from, to see if anyone heard them.

"Not a bad guy? Who are you kidding –"

"Just listen!" He ran a hand through his hair, getting annoyed. Then, "I won't do anything to you! I'm just avoiding some people following me, and I thought that if I was with a girl in a dark alley they won't even spare us a glance. So stay."

Despite the darkness, Mikan tried to make up the features of the man in front of her. It was too dark for her to clearly see his face, but from what she can see, he looked decent enough to warrant benefit of the doubt. Still, she glared at him. "If you wanted help you could've asked nicely."

He snorted, "Was I supposed to say please? We're already here in this situation." He glanced at the street once again, on alert. Mikan crossed her arms and scowled. This man is testing her patience. The nerve of this man! She doesn't know him so she could just leave him. He scared her to death just now!

All of a sudden, both of them heard a commotion. "I saw him I saw him!" "Where? This way?" "I don't know! Come on hurry!" "Kyaa!" "He ran this way!" The shouts and the sounds of footsteps were getting louder and louder. The man muttered a string of curses in response.

Mikan flinched at his colorful wording. "Are they after you?" She hesitantly asked. Then she added, "...are you famous?" Honestly, she didn't really know. She can't see his face clearly in the dark. She just looked at him, and it seemed like he was staring at her in disbelief. She shrugged, she doesn't have anything to do with him. Plus if he's famous, she doesn't want to get caught up all of it. "Well they're after you, so I'm going now..."

She made a move to leave and without warning the man in front of her placed both of his hands on either side of her, effectively trapping her against the wall. "I said, stay."

As he leaned closer towards her, Mikan found herself looking straight at his eyes. 'What a unique set of eyes.' She thought.

Doomed – that's her situation now.

She was supposed to leave, and not get involved with this strange person. She was supposed to feel scared of him and his actions towards her. Yet, she made no further effort to move. Her heart suddenly beating faster than normal.

Stupid – that's what Hotaru would call her if she finds out.

He continued to lean even closer just as the shouts and footsteps were getting louder.

Mikan felt like this man was looking at her very soul. His stare was piercing. His eyes – bewitching. It was the first time she saw eyes with this shade of red. Crimson, more like it. The most beautiful eyes she's ever seen. 'How strange,' she thought. It was the first time she's seen it, but it felt oddly familiar – like she was home.

Captivated – that's what she is.

As he rests his forehead against hers, their lips barely a few inches away from each other, Mikan can no longer hear the commotion. All she could hear was her heart, beating loudly against her chest, like it was about to burst out. He was still leaning closer... and closer...

Slowly, she closed her eyes. And waited...

And waited...

Until she heard a snort. Mikan's eyes shot open.

"Did you think I was going to kiss you, little girl?"

Then he laughed.

Shit. She was unlucky alright.

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Author's Note: I will be updating my profile soon enough, to give an explanation to all of you. Check it out if you want. :)

Reviews would be greatly appreciated!


	2. The Best Friend

**Fortuity**

Author's Note: Thank you for those who reviewed and took the time to read this story. Greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE! All characters from Gakuen Alice are owned by Higuchi Tachibana.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"Did you think I was going to kiss you, little girl?"

Natsume laughed as he stared at the shocked expression of the girl in front of her. Seriously. Did she think that he would kiss her? He doesn't even know her! Heck, he could barely make out her features in the dark. He trapped her against the wall to prevent her from leaving, and leaned in closer as a joke.

He continued to stare at her as her expression turned from shocked to horrified. 'What a funny girl.' he thought.

Then, she shook her head and glared at him, "You..."

Before he could even open his mouth to answer, he heard the commotion and sounds of feet coming in their direction. "Shit." He really doesn't want to be caught. His manager will scold him again and probably stop him from going out next time.

He quickly looked around for a means to escape this alley without being seen. In the end, he saw a fence that he could easily climb over to lead him away from the group chasing him.

Natsume turned to look at the girl and smirked, "Bye."

Without waiting for her response, he ran towards the fence and effortlessly jumped over it. Before going his way though, he found himself turning his head to catch one last glimpse of her. He saw her still standing at where he left her. Natsume had no idea why, but he can't help but want to see what she looked like.

All he saw were her eyes. Truthfully, her eyes drew him in. Her large brown eyes that stared at his were filled with innocence.

If she looked decent enough, maybe then he would have kissed her for real.

Huh?

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Did he really just think that way? He wanted to kiss her?

Whew.

Is this what not having a girl in months feel like? He shook his head. No. It was just the first time he saw eyes like that staring up at him for all the other girls stared at him with lust.

He turned around and began to walk away from the scene. He won't see her again anyway. Well, he hopes never to see her again.

He wants to though.

Ugh.

He then hit his face with his hands to snap out of it.

Just then, his phone rang. _Unknown Caller._

He ignored it and continued his way. He walked a few more paces and stopped when he reached the end of the alley. He can't just go out without a disguise.

His phone kept ringing. Still, _Unknown Caller. _

He sighed in annoyance and answered the call, "What?"

"Finally! I thought you were going to ignore me forever."

Natsume rolled his eyes, "Ruka."

What happened to his number?

"It's a long story," Ruka said, as if answering his thoughts. He sighed before continuing, "But where are you? You suddenly left your apartment without telling us! You have an interview in an hour. And you have a photoshoot right after at S Hotel! Have you forgotten?"

Oh yeah. He did. He wouldn't tell him that though. "I remember. I just took a walk. But anyway, just pick me up. I lost my disguise and a lot of people know I'm in the vicinity." Natsume then told him what happened.

Ruka laughed on the other line. "It's good that she didn't see your face. You won't see her again anyway."

"Too bad."

"Did you say something?"

"No. Just pick me up now." _Click._

.

.

.

"So you're saying that the reason why you're late is because an old man said that you should be careful of black cats. Then, when you saw one, you _followed_ it inside an alley and ended up being in an unfortunate situation with a guy." Hotaru blankly said, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the brown-haired girl knelt down in front of her. "After that, he trapped you against the wall, tried to kiss you, laughed at you, and then left by jumping over the fence."

Mikan nodded at her but refused to lift her head up to avoid her gaze.

"I see." Hotaru's mouth formed into a tight line. "Then you ran like crazy to my place to tell me everything that occurred?"

Another nod from Mikan.

"Bullshit." Hotaru rolled her eyes, "If you're going to invent a story, at least make it believable Mikan. I would have believed you if you said you brought a pregnant woman to the hospital."

Mikan jerked her head up, "I'm telling the truth!"

"Is this how badly you don't want to pay me money for being late?"

"Hotaru! Please! I'm telling the truth!" Mikan was practically begging at this point. Her story was absurd, that's for sure. But she really wasn't lying to her.

"Okay. I believe you."

"Really?"

"No way." Hotaru held up her hand, "Now pay up."

"Wait!" Mikan grabbed onto her leg. "I'm not lying! I swear!"

Hotaru shook her leg, in an attempt to free it from her friend's grasp. "If you don't have money, you can always do me a favor."

"Hotaru!"

"Where's the old man? Let's go ask him so you can prove your... _innocence_."

"E-excuse me?" Mikan let go of her best friend's leg and nervously played with her hands, "You see.. I went back for him but the grandpa was no longer there."

Hotaru raised a brow at that. "Okay..." She crossed her arms, "Your story is already losing its credibility."

"I know it looks like I'm lying but it's true. I went back for grandpa but he wasn't there anymore. Then when I was on the way here, I met that arrogant guy who tried to kiss me and laughed at me."

"What does he look like?"

"Uh..."

"Don't tell me that you almost gave away your first kiss to someone and you don't even know what he looks like?"

Mikan gave out a nervous laugh, "Um..."

"Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do with you." Hotaru sighed. She started to chide her, "Didn't your grandfather tell you to be careful with strangers? Hell, he said do not talk to strangers and be careful of strange guys! And you almost kissed one today! Also, you were almost taken advantage of at work! Honestly, you're already 24 years old!" She paused briefly. She was about to say more when she saw her best friend about to tear up.

"I'm sorry," Mikan said, her head bowed down.

Hotaru knelt down next to her and began patting her head, "Be careful next time."

Mikan lunged herself at her and hugged her, "I missed you, Hotaru! Why did you stop talking to me? I was really sad." Truly, she missed her best friend. She's been down in the dumps for days, but being with her best friend really made her feel better again.

"Because you didn't tell me about your problems at all. I had to find out from my connections." Hotaru said, all the while trying to pry off Mikan away from her. Yes, she had to find out from someone else that Mikan's boss is a prick and that she's jobless as of the moment.

"I didn't want to worry you! I was scared you'd do something bad to him."

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know! Nevertheless, he was still my boss and he gave me a job first!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. Of course he'd give her a job. Mikan's resume was good enough. Even though she didn't graduate as top of her class – of course Hotaru would be it – she was still above average. She has a lot of potential, so it's actually confusing as to why she's still jobless now. Hotaru has a clue however, that Mikan's former boss was the reason above it all. She has to do something about that disgusting prick.

After removing herself from Mikan's grasp, she stood up and walked towards her computer area.

Mikan followed after her, "Am I forgiven now?"

"Hm?"

"Being late."

Hotaru turned to face her, arms crossed, and with a glint in her eye. "Who said I believed you?"

"B-but... Didn't you?"

"It's still an unbelievable story," she said dryly, looking at her fingernails. Then she looked around her apartment unit. "Oh. Would you look at this. My apartment _needs_ to be cleaned."

Mikan looked around too. All she can see was various papers and things scattered around, probably because Hotaru was inventing again. Or maybe up to something to extort money from someone again. "H-hotaru... You can't be..?"

"_Right now._"

Mikan straightened up and saluted, "Right away!"

.

"Ahhhh finally!" Mikan breathed out. She plopped herself on the couch in the living room. That was a few hours of torture. She checked the clock, "5:00 pm." How long was she cleaning?

She grinned in satisfaction as she glanced at her surroundings. Everything was clean and in proper order. Her best friend's apartment is really nice. The white walls and dark purple carpeting complimented each other. She's only been here for a few times but she can't help but admire the place every time. It's filled with expensive and stylish furniture, something Hotaru definitely worked hard in obtaining. It's also on the 18th floor with a great view to boot. 'When will I be able to stay in something like this?' Mikan thought to herself.

She shook her head as if trying to shake away her bad thoughts. Her apartment, despite not looking like this, is given to her by her grandfather. It's not as nice as this one, but it's home. Actually, Hotaru had already offered to buy her a nicer apartment but she didn't want to. She didn't want to rely on anyone else.

Hotaru came out of the computer area moments after with a small smile on her face. "I'm done."

"Done with what?" Mikan asked, looking at her suspiciously.

Hotaru plopped herself on the couch next to her, "Destroying your mortal enemy."

"You did not!"

"Too late."

"Hotaru!"

Hotaru frowned, "Mikan. Do you know why you haven't been getting jobs?" She paused for a moment, "You former boss has been contacting numerous companies and bad-mouthing you. Old prick probably was afraid that you'd tell everyone what he did to you."

Mikan's mouth formed a small O in surprise, "What?"

"Yes. So I just sent out a couple of his... let's say _indecent_... pictures to the media. He's ruined." She let out an evil laugh. "You're welcome, by the way."

"No way!"

"See for yourself." Hotaru said, pointing towards the computer area.

Mikan ran to the room and checked the computer. The screen indeed displayed the indecent pictures of her former boss. These indecent pictures consisted of him being in compromising positions with his female employees – those who probably took up his offer.

Her instant reaction was to cover her eyes.

"Gross!"

Out of curiosity though, she peeked out from her hands, and avoided looking at the body parts. "Hey isn't this... Oh! This person is the receptionist... And this is..." Honestly, she couldn't believe some of her former colleagues would sleep with him – in the office!

Then, one picture caught her eye, "Hey! Hotaru! This one – isn't she the wife of the CEO of the Shouda Enterprises?"

"Yes." Hotaru stated, looking bored as she leaned on the doorframe. "Her daughter – the model Sumire – would probably take the brunt of the blow. She adores her mother and said she wanted to be like her. Remember her? You used to admire her a lot."

Mikan looked back at her and grimaced, "Yeah, before I found out she's a horrible person." She shuddered, remembering the images of when they met. She couldn't forget the shriek the model let out that one time she hugged her tight, excited for being able to meet her. She was then pushed and forcibly dragged away from the model all while Sumire was saying how disgusting she was. "_You're dirt!_ \- that's what she said. Ahh it was so bad!"

"She's dirt. Her hair looks like seaweed." Hotaru scowled.

Mikan laughed at that. Then she said, "I know you're doing this for me, but I think you overdid it this time."

"You're just too nice."

"The girls in this scandal would be ruined as well," Mikan pointed out. "How about them?"

"Don't worry. I blurred all of their faces when I sent them out. The only problem is with Mrs. Shouda." Hotaru crossed her arms. "Everyone would know it's because of her trademark green hair. Well, they can also suspect Sumire, but then again, the body obviously doesn't belong to her. Besides, she's committing adultery. She should be punished."

Mikan didn't respond. What's done is done. She couldn't do anything about it now anyway. Hotaru is definitely a scary enemy. Especially when it came to taking pictures. That woman is a genius. She still remembers all the blackmail photos Hotaru has of her.

She then turned to the screen and closed the folder, not wanting to see the repulsive pictures any longer. To her surprise, there was a picture of a blonde man on the screen. A handsome blonde man. She looked for more photos of the guy on the computer. There were a lot.

"H-hotaru..."

"What?"

"Are you dating someone?" Mikan asked. She pointed at Hotaru accusingly, "I can't believe you! You're dating someone and you never told me?"

Hotaru raised her brow at that, "And who am I dating?"

"This guy! Your wallpaper! A blonde gorgeous man as your wallpaper! And it's a _selfie_! With a rabbit!"

"Oh. That." Hotaru chuckled, "That is Ruka Nogi." She walked towards Mikan and grabbed a phone beside the computer. "And this is my treasure box." She smiled.

Mikan just stared at her wordlessly.

Hotaru sighed, "Come, I'll explain. Dinner on me."

"Wow you're finally treating me?" Mikan's smile reached up to her eyes.

"No. We'll pay separately."

Then she left, leaving Mikan gaping and rushing to follow after her.

.

.

.

"WHAT?" Mikan said, maybe a little too loud as the people sitting near their table gave her weird looks. Mikan couldn't believe her ears. Did Hotaru just say that she got someone's phone and never bothered returning it to the owner? Hotaru, her friend who could afford anything? Isn't that considered stealing? She might face court charges!

"Relax." Hotaru said flatly as she sipped coffee. They were now at the cafe in front of S Hotel after eating dinner. "I'm planning on returning it to him tonight."

"Oh really? That's good I gues– NO! It doesn't work that way! You already got his pictures!"

Hotaru ignored her and simply smirked, "Ruka Nogi is the manager of Natsume Hyuuga, one of the famous stars in the entertainment business nowadays. A lot of people will _pay_ to have pictures of him because they find him just as attractive as the star he is handling. Unfortunately though, he tries his best to stay away from the camera." She paused after a while, "So I just took the opportunity when I realized I have his phone with me."

"It's wrong in so many levels! You invaded his privacy!" Mikan groaned.

"It's not wrong for me. I'm still returning his phone, aren't I? In any case, pictures are taken in order to be seen by other people."

Mikan stuck her tongue out at her best friend, "I bet that phone is cloned."

Hotaru just smiled at her comment, "I'd like to call this – a part-time job." Really, so what if she cloned the phone? The manager will get his phone back. Then she'll know the schedule of Natsume Hyuuga plus she'll get to take pictures of the manager. It's a win-win situation, actually.

A loss for them though.

"Your eyes are turning into money already." Mikan muttered as she studied her friend's face. She put her head down on the table. Hotaru's definitely something. She resorts to all kinds of things just to earn money. Mikan turned her head to look at her friend, "You're evil."

"I know."

"I'm glad you're not my enemy."

"I know."

Mikan sat up. "What are we doing here though?" she asked.

"Returning the phone of course," Hotaru replied, her eyes had a certain glint on them.

"Huh? Now?" Mikan looked around and saw two tall men exiting the lobby of the hotel. One of them was blonde – the guy on Hotaru's computer. Ruka Nogi.

"Let's go." Hotaru said as she stood up and went towards the two men.

Mikan followed after her. "Wait up!"

As she walked towards them, she noticed the other guy wearing sunglasses. 'He's probably Natsume Hyuuga.' she thought. She can't help but remember her bad experience with Sumire Shouda, and prayed that he wasn't like her.

God help her if she encounters another celebrity with an inflated ego.

The men stopped walking when they noticed that the two girls were walking towards them. Hotaru casually put her hands behind her back and smiled as she crossed the distance between them. Mikan meekly followed her from behind.

When they were right in front of each other, the blonde man, Ruka cleared his throat and asked, "Um.. Can I help you?"

Natsume, on the other hand, simply crossed his arms, as if waiting for the exchange to end as quickly as possible.

Hotaru coughed, "Are you Ruka Nogi?"

"Uh... Yes, I am. Do I know you?"

"That's great!" Hotaru exclaimed in excitement, her voice a pitch higher than normal. She then clapped her hands once and smiled brightly, "You see, I was the one who got your phone. I hope you don't mind, but I checked the phone to see who the owner is. I'm glad I bumped into you here. I can finally return it!"

Mikan scrunched her nose and looked at her weirdly, 'Who is this girl?'

"Thank you very much!" Ruka smiled and took the phone from Hotaru's hands. He couldn't believe his luck! "You really saved me." He sighed in relief, "All of my important contacts are here on this phone."

Hotaru giggled, "It's a good thing I saw you today then!"

Mikan's eyes widened. Was this really the Hotaru she knew for almost her whole life? She's been too cheerful, it's crazy. Is– is she flirting? Is this what happens if Hotaru's in front of a good-looking man? It's a whole new world!

"Really, thank you. If there's anything I can do for you, please, give me a call."

"Is that a promise?" Hotaru asked, as she looked deep into his light blue eyes.

Then Mikan saw it, the cunning look in her friend's eyes. She froze. "Oh no." She looked at Ruka. 'You're being tricked, Mister!' As much as she wanted to say it out loud, she couldn't. Hotaru definitely cannot be her enemy.

Natsume observed as the the brown-haired girl looked back and forth between his manager and her friend. He heard her mumble something, so he got the gist that his manager is being tricked. He glanced at him but saw him blushing. He decided not to interfere and see how it turns out.

Ruka felt the heat rising up in his cheeks as he met her gaze. He looked away, "Of course it is. It's a promise."

The moment Ruka said that, Mikan gasped in disbelief. 'What a pure-minded man.'

Hotaru smirked.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

* * *

AN: The pacing of this chapter is kind of slow, but I wanted to introduce you to Hotaru. There are barely MN moments here but there will be more in the following chapters that's for sure.

Thank you again! Please, don't forget to leave reviews so I know what you think! :)


	3. Tick Tock

**Fortuity**

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews! I hope you like this one.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE! All characters from Gakuen Alice are owned by Higuchi Tachibana.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_9:00 am._

"Ahh I can't believe my luck! I finally have a job interview today!"

Mikan smiled as she walked along the busy streets of Tokyo. Indeed, she finally received a call from one of the companies she applied to. Hyuuga Corporations.

She stopped in front of a boutique and checked her reflection in the window. She was wearing a black skirt, a white blouse, and a pair of black heels. Her hair was tied in a bun. She nodded, satisfied with how she looked like. She browsed the net all night last night, taking notes about how to dress and what to do during the interview so that she would look impressive. It was the first company to call her back after a few weeks of searching so she really wanted to look and do her best.

'I have an hour to go before my interview. Better get there early.'

She started walking again to her destination and she can't help but admire the people in business attires. A lot of them were in their phones and looked like they were in a rush to get to work. She grinned as she imagined herself as one of them. If she does a good job in this interview, she'd be like them too! The opportunities would be endless and she'd be able to pay back her grandfather for everything he has done for her.

As she was daydreaming, she stopped when she heard two office girls gossiping in front of the newspaper stand. In her curiosity, she went towards them and pretended to browse one of the newspapers as she eavesdropped in their conversation.

"Tsk. I can't believe Sumire Shouda's mother would commit adultery!" one of them said.

"Yeah. I remember when Sumire received that fashion award and made a long speech, telling everyone that her mother is her role model because her mother's really successful now as the CEO of their entertainment company. Role model – will she follow in her footsteps?"

Both girls laughed.

"Apparently, she's been in hiding ever since the news came out. Gosh, it'll be awful day at home with both her parents!"

"You know it!"

The girls continued to chatter when they walked away. Mikan's mouth turned into a grim line. When the pictures Hotaru released in the media broke out, a lot of criticisms were thrown at Sumire saying that her mother was doing the sexual favors for her so she'd rise to the top. There were other bad rumors, but really, her reputation took a dive. She wondered about how the husband of Mrs. Shouda took it though. Mikan felt bad about it, but she can't do anything anymore.

She sighed as she put the newspaper down and went her way.

_9:36 am._

Mikan came to an abrupt stop when she can no longer recognize the area she was in.

She stood there wide-eyed, looking at her unknown surroundings. Was she lost? 'No. I'm not lost,' she thought, trying to convince herself. She let out a small laugh and turned around. 'I'll find my way back. I was sure that I was in the right area just now...' She started walking again, going back to where she thought she came from.

After a few more minutes, she stopped walking. She glanced around the area and panicked. She didn't come from here did she? She doesn't recognize any of the stores around her.

Fear started creeping in.

Oh no.

She was officially lost.

Mikan tried asking the few people left in the streets for directions but they brushed her off, hurrying to their own destinations. Even the vendors on the side of the road were of no help, telling her different directions every time.

Ugh. If only she didn't get side-tracked.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the newly bought strawberry shake she was holding. "This is all your fault," she muttered. She frowned at it and took a sip, "It still tastes good though."

Mikan took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She can't panic now. She'll find her way. Yes, she can. She always does. She still has a lot of time left, right? She checked her watch. 9:45 am. 15 minutes until her interview.

Okay.

Is now the appropriate time for her to panic?

With one hand, she fumbled around in her bag for her phone. Once she got it, she immediately called the one person who will be able to help her. Yuu Tobita.

_The number you have dialed does not exist. The number you have dialed does not exist. The num– _

She dropped her head back down in resignation. She glanced at the store beside her, seeing her reflection in the windows. 'So much for looking good today. Great. The first interview and you mess it up, Mikan.' she thought bitterly. She looked at her drink once more which wasn't even half empty yet, blaming it for her misfortune.

"Are you okay?"

Mikan whipped her head around at the source of the voice. A young man with a spiky dirty blonde hair was looking at her with a smile. Mikan blinked a couple of times and pointed at her face, confused.

The man's smile turned into a huge grin, "Are you lost?"

Mikan nodded absentmindedly.

"I knew it!" he said triumphantly then continued, "I was just walking and saw that you kept glancing around. Where are you headed to? Work? Nah!" he chuckled. "You wouldn't get lost if you were going to work. An interview, I presume? Maybe I can help you?"

She immediately asked for directions to where she was headed.

"Oh! So that's where you were headed! You're not far off miss. You probably took a wrong turn. From here, just turn left, then right, then straight for a few blocks," he replied.

"So left, right, straight," she repeated and smiled. Finally! Someone managed to give her clear directions to where she was headed. She glanced at the man and saw his huge grin. Her smile immediately turned into a frown, "You're not lying to me, are you?"

"No no! I pass by there a couple of times you see, and I'm affiliated with one of the people from there."

"Yay! Great!"

"I promise you, when you get there, you'd see a–" he spread his arms wide, "–huge sign that says Hyuuga Corporations. If you leave now, you'd get there in just a few minutes."

Mikan beamed, "Thank you thank you thank you! I'll go now! Thank you so much for your help! I'm Mikan! I'll go now! Thank you again!" She turned to leave and hurried to her destination.

The man waved at her as she left. 'Another good deed done today,' he thought. He smiled, "Hyuuga Corp. Sure brings back memories. Ahh. I should give them a call." He turned around and started walking away, "Maybe later."

_9:57 am._

Ahh finally!

Mikan stared up at the enormous building in front of her. It was really high too. It looked like a great place to work at. She couldn't believe her eyes. She finally reached her destination. "And that man wasn't lying," she said to herself as she looked at the huge sign that clearly says Hyuuga Corporations.

She nodded, "This is it!" Oh man. She's really here now. She glanced at her watch and seeing the time, she immediately ran towards the entrance.

Before she even got in though, she was surprised when someone bumped into her hard, spilling her long forgotten drink everywhere.

"Sorry!" she blurted out in instinct. Then, she stared in horror at the liquid stain in her clothes. She heard someone curse. Slowly, she looked up at the face of the person who bumped her.

She froze in her tracks when she realized who he was.

Natsume Hyuuga.

And he looks like he's really angry at her. Well, that's what she thought, she couldn't really see his expression because of the sunglasses he was wearing. Also, he was trying to remove the strawberry shake from his clothes. Clothes that probably costs more than her apartment.

Mikan started inching away and moving towards the entrance, hoping that he wouldn't remember her or even bother with her. She has an interview to attend to for Christ's sake! She'll just figure out what to do with the stain in her clothes later.

Before she was able to leave though, a hand grabbed her arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She groaned.

_10:00 am._

An unfortunate meeting with a disagreeable man.

.

.

.

_Inside Hyuuga Corporations_

"President!" The employee who said that immediately stood up and bowed to him as he entered the room. The rest of them followed suit.

The old man, Natsuki Hyuuga, took everyone by surprise when he suddenly showed up. The employees started murmuring, wondering what caused the sudden visit.

"Don't worry," he said, waving his hand as if removing their concerns away. "I'm just here to oversee the interviewing process. Where are the applicants?"

The one responsible for it spoke up, "They're outside, sir, we're just about to start the interviews."

Natsuki raised an eyebrow, "The people I saw outside – are they the only ones who passed the preliminaries?"

"Yes sir! Not all of them showed up however." He paused before adding, "Are you looking for someone in particular?"

"No. You may continue your work," he turned to leave. "Keep on doing a good job."

"Yes sir!" The employees replied in chorus.

He left the room and walked back towards his office at the top floor, confused. Frankly, the reason why he even bothered on checking the interviewees was to see the brown-haired girl again. Once in a while, he checks the resumes of the people who apply in his company. He saw her resume and found that she had good credentials. He also knows that she got the interview, and remembers her rant about not having a job.

The question still remains, why didn't she show up?

He sighed. He only wants the best people in his company, but not showing up on an interview says something about her character as well. He shook his head and murmured, "I don't think she's that kind of girl."

As he walked, he continued to ponder on the reason on why she didn't show.

.

.

.

"God, what have I done to deserve this?"

Natsume ignored Mikan and said nothing. He was really pissed off when her drink spilled on him. When he recognized her though, he thought it was funny how he kept on seeing her in the most unusual circumstances. And so, he dragged her off to the nearest cafe albeit against her will, ignoring her complaints on the way.

"What have I done to deserve this?" she repeated, as she begrudgingly sat down across him.

Again, he ignored her. Instead, he motioned for the waiter. When the waiter came, he simply ordered coffee. He turned towards her, "Order anything you want."

Mikan narrowed her eyes at him, "What is this now?"

He sighed as if annoyed, "Free food. Order anything you want."

She was still suspicious of him, thinking that he'll make her pay for it in the end. So she declined, "No, thank you."

"What? You think I'll make you pay for it in the end?" he asked, as if reading her thoughts.

"Maybe."

"Look, I'm rich enough to afford anything I want."

"My friend is rich enough too and she still makes me pay for my meals."

"You have stingy friends," he said. "I'm not stingy. Order."

Mikan glared at him, but seeing how he'll probably order for her if she doesn't do it herself, reached for the menu. She ordered the most expensive meal in revenge.

When the waiter left, he asked, "Is that so hard?"

Mikan simply crossed her arms, ignored him, and looked elsewhere. What does this person want with her? She doesn't even know him! Heck, she hasn't even seen his whole face. After Sumire's outburst, she stopped looking at those celebrities. So she doesn't really know what he looks like underneath those glasses.

In the time she was silent, Natsume took the time to study her. When he saw her last week with her friend, he thought that she looked familiar. It was funny, how she was dragging away her friend last time after exchanging numbers with Ruka. Ruka complained a few days later, saying that he was scammed and duped.

Ahh, that was satisfying.

Ruka's the type of person who knows how to handle all kinds of situations and seeing him in a situation not knowing what to do was entertaining to watch. He chuckled, remembering how his friend asked for his help numerous times now.

"What's so funny?" Mikan asked, wondering why he laughed out of nowhere.

Natsume just looked at her, "None of your business." He raised an eyebrow, "I thought you weren't going to talk to me."

"It's not like I have anyone else to talk to anyway," she said. She finally faced him, accepting that she's stuck with him. She doesn't even know why she was, she just went along with it. She can't go to her interview now anyway because of this annoying person in front of her. So she doesn't have anywhere to go.

Before they can even start a conversation, their orders arrived. Mikan smiled at the sight of her food. Truthfully, she was really hungry. She wasn't able to eat breakfast because she was worrying about her interview. So much for that. She mumbled a thanks before digging in.

Natsume watched her as he sipped his coffee. He can't help but notice her appearance right now – stained clothes and sporting a loose bun. She didn't even bother looking nice after finding out who he was. She was interesting, he'd admit to that.

Throughout the meal, Mikan kept on glancing at him, wondering why he wasn't saying anything.

She started talking even with food still in her mouth, "Why aren't you eating?"

"I already ate," he replied curtly.

"Oh. Okay." She continued eating, hurrying up as she can no longer handle being with him. She noticed he wasn't much of a talker and being with someone she can technically call a stranger felt uncomfortable.

After Natsume paid for their meal, Mikan felt that this was the time to go. She turned towards him, "Well, thank you for the meal. I guess I'll go now."

He stopped her, "Who said it's time to go?"

'Wait, is he planning on staying with me? What's with this person?" she thought. She tilted her head to the side, "It's not like we have plans or anything. Frankly, we don't know each other. So.. I'll go now..."

"No."

Mikan sighed, "What do you want?"

"Compensation," he stated, crossing his arms.

Her eyes narrowed and she accused him, "For the food? What? You scammer! You said it was free!" She frowned, "I knew it was too good to be true."

He rolled his eyes and pointed at the stain in his clothes, "For this."

"Oh." She forced out a laugh and nervously played with her fingers, "Um.. I really don't have money..."

Natsume smirked, "It's okay. You can give me your time."

"Time?"

"Pay with your body."

With that, Mikan's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped in shock. She started mumbling incoherent words, "Uh... um.. uh..." Did she hear that right?

"You definitely heard me correctly," he said, as if answering her thoughts again.

"No!" she cried. She hugged herself and started backing away from him. "I thought you were kind of decent for a celebrity, but you're not! Pervert!"

Confused, he asked, "Pervert?" He started taking a few steps towards her. "What are you thinking?"

The moment he reached out his hand towards her, Mikan turned around and ran away. Instinctively, Natsume ran after her.

"Stop chasing me!" she shouted.

He called out to her, "Then stop running!"

She continued running, avoiding the crowd of people in her way. When she saw a policeman, she immediately went towards him. She begged the police to save her, "A pervert is running after me!" She hid behind his back and pointed at Natsume.

The police officer listened to her and saw the man in sunglasses running towards them. He restrained him when he reached them as he declared, "You have to go with me, Mister."

"What the hell?" Natsume can only stare at the policeman as he cuffed him. "What are you doing?" He tried to struggle free. "This is all a misunderstanding."

The officer tightened his grip at him and just sighed, "That's what they all say."

Natsume looked incredulously at Mikan, "Tell him it's a misunderstanding!"

Mikan stuck out her tongue at him, winked, and waved goodbye, "It was nice seeing you! I'll go now you pervert! Let's not see each other again!"

Before she can even walk away, the police officer stopped her, "You have to go with us too, Miss." He started walking towards the station with Natsume in tow.

She groaned and followed after them.

.

_2:45 pm. _

"I'm sorry."

Mikan kept on apologizing to Natsume as she followed him out of the police station.

Apparently, what he meant by 'pay with your body' is to go with him to the store where he got his clothes. It was sponsored, he said, and he needed a new set for his photoshoot later.

Ugh. Why did he have to use words like that? Can't he just ask nicely?

When the police officers found out who he was, they laughed and told them that if the accusation was proven true, it'll be all over the news tomorrow. Thank god the misunderstanding was solved. She instantly felt bad when he realized that. She should have heard him out first.

All of a sudden, Natsume stopped walking. Lost in her thoughts, she bumped into him.

"Ouch," she yelped as she rubbed her nose with her hand.

He turned around to face her and hissed, "You!"

Mikan took a step back as she immediately felt his anger. It's like the temperature dropped several degrees down even if he had only said a word. It was in this moment that she realized how tall he really was. He was towering over her and she felt really small next to him. She nervously asked, "M-me?"

"You- I can't believe..." he cursed, suddenly remembering the humiliation she received from this girl. Not only was he called a pervert, he was even cuffed and dragged to the police station! He couldn't believe that all his hardwork almost went down the drain. He took a step towards her, "You almost cost me my reputation!" It's true. Ever since he became a model, he made sure that he will never get involved with the police. Hell, he made sure that no scandal will be linked to him however inevitable that may be. Sure, there were rumors of his bad attitude in general but that was it. All his coworkers and employers respected him because of his work ethics.

She continued backing away, her hands in front of her in defense, "I'm sorry! I was wrong!"

"You're impossible. You think I'm... _that_ kind of person?"

"I didn't know! It was a mistake!"

Infuriated, he took off his sunglasses with his hands. "You assumed and it escalated to this much," he growled. He moved closer to her and clenched his jaw.

Mikan saw that movement and closed her eyes, her arms moving to cover her head, fearing the man before him. She really did feel bad! It's not like she runs and calls people a pervert everyday! Besides, she already apologized a lot of times.

Ack! Why did she have to meet him?

A few moments passed with only silence between them. Slowly, Mikan opened her eyes. She saw him with his eyes closed, massaging his temples in frustration. He was no longer focused on her.

Biting her lower lip, she bowed down her head. She apologized once again, "I'm sorry." He didn't say anything and she remained in that kind of position for a while. As she stared at the ground, she noticed the clothes she was wearing.

Wait.

A.

Minute.

She was suddenly reminded of this morning and her missed job interview. She was at fault, sure, but she would have made it if he didn't drag her away.

With her anger welling up inside of her, she stood up straight and glared at him. "Okay Mister. Fine. I almost got you in trouble but you got out of it, didn't you? But you-" She pointed an accusing finger at him, touching his chest. "-made me miss an important job interview and I'm certain I'll never have a chance like that again! You ruined my opportunity!"

Natsume opened his eyes and stared at the woman looking up at him. The moment he did, Mikan's eyes grew wide as she saw his eyes.

Crimson.

She would never forget those eyes.

She gasped, her mouth hanging open.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Cat got your tongue?"

She couldn't believe that this person was the same infuriating man she met.

Still, it made sense.

_3:00 pm._

With no other way to express herself, she lunged at him.

* * *

AN: Please please review!


	4. Mikan Sakura

**Fortuity**

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews! This chapter is longer than the usual. Here you go!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE! All characters from Gakuen Alice are owned by Higuchi Tachibana.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Before Natsume could even react, the girl in front of him suddenly lunged at him and punched him.

Hard.

In the jaw.

His head snapped back from the blow. He even dropped his sunglasses in shock. When he recovered, he scowled. He quickly took a look around to see if anyone saw. Thankfully, no one did. He let out a sigh in relief.

He still couldn't believe what just transpired. Did he actually let his guard down and allowed himself to be punched by a girl? He clenched his fists, trying to tamp down the anger building inside him. He growled at her, "What is wrong with you?"

She glared at him in response. Then, he saw her wince as she massaged the hand that hit him.

He touched his jaw and cursed, feeling the stinging pain from her punch. 'Damn, I hate to admit it, but that kind of hurt.' he thought. He started to worry that it might bruise as he still had a photo shoot to attend to later. It would definitely affect the shoot if it did. As a model, it was a rule not to let anything happen to his face. Normally, he wouldn't even care about superficial things like that. But it was his job and he had decided earlier on that he would do his best at it.

His thoughts were interrupted when the girl in front of him spoke.

"I hate you."

He narrowed his eyes, "You're crazy." Really, she is. "One moment you were apologizing to me and then you punch me? What kind of upbringing did you have?"

"HEY!" She shouted, pointing a finger at him. "Now you're insulting my grandfather? You're the worst!"

"I wasn't even-"

"Yes you were!"

"No, I really wasn't."

"You just asked what kind of upbringing I have! Doesn't that mean that you were questioning–"

Natsume shut his eyes and stopped listening to her. He could feel a headache coming on. Truthfully, he just wanted to walk away and pretend that nothing happened. He wanted to pretend that there were no stains in his clothes, pretend that he wasn't called a pervert, and pretend that he wasn't dragged to the police station in handcuffs. Most of all, he wanted to pretend that he wasn't hit. By a girl.

Ugh. Ruka would never let him hear the end of it when he finds out.

Despite his growing irritation, Natsume knew he was to blame. Why did he even drag this girl with him in the first place? Out of interest? Curiosity?

Seriously, he's regretting it now.

"...It's all your fault! The reason why I had to clean Hotaru's place! Why I had to miss that job interview! Everything is your fault! You bringer of misfortune!" she bawled.

Natsume ran a hand through his hair and decided that he's had enough. He opened his eyes and grabbed her by the shoulders, staring straight into her eyes. "Okay little girl. Stop. Seriously. I've had enough. I don't even know wh–"

He stopped talking when he noticed her eyes.

It was surprisingly familiar.

He was good with faces but despite that, he can't seem to remember where he saw her eyes.

Large orange-colored eyes.

Where did he see those eyes?

He suddenly remembered the girl he saw the other week, but he thought that it was too much of a coincidence. Besides, he was sure that the girl in the alley had brown eyes. Not orange.

He was broken out of his reverie when the girl attempted to break free from him. He strengthened his hold on her. After the brief struggle that ensued, the both of them suddenly heard the shrill sound of a police whistle.

They turned to the sound and saw a policeman walking towards them, "What's the problem over there?"

In an instant, Natsume released her from his grasp. He totally forgot that they were just outside the police station. From an outsider's point of view, it seemed like he was antagonizing her.

Shit.

Not another misunderstanding!

He cursed as he surveyed the area for a way to escape. Just in time, he found a cab by the street looking for a passenger. He ran towards it as fast as he can, leaving behind the angry girl and the bewildered policeman alone.

.

"Thank you for the hard work!" the photographer yelled, signaling the end of the shoot.

Natsume stood up from his seat and stretched. He was glad that the shoot went by without a hitch. He was able to get a new set of clothes from his sponsor and his jaw didn't bruise from the hit. He was really glad that the shoot was successful.

He went towards the photographer and thanked him for a job well done. As he left the set to go to his dressing room, he expressed his gratitude to the staff as well.

When he entered the room, he saw Ruka by the couch, seemingly out of it.

Natsume smirked, then lightly pushed him aside to sit beside him. He put his feet on the coffee table in front of them and crossed his arms behind his head. He then closed his eyes to get some rest.

After a few moments of silence, Ruka sighed and called out his name, "Natsume..."

"What?" he asked, cracking one of his eyes open.

"I feel like I'm haunted..," he groaned.

Natsume raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Ho-hotaru Imai. That girl.. She's everywhere!" Ruka cried out as he cautiously looked around the room. "There are pictures of me in all the places I went to for the past week! I don't see her, but I swear, sometimes... I can hear the shutter sound of the camera! I can't even stay at the studio anymore. When I hear the camera, I feel like she'll pop out of nowhere!"

"So is that why you're hiding out here?" Natsume clicked his tongue, "Wasn't it your fault to begin with? She asked you to sign a contract about her having exclusive rights of selling your photos – and that you will not sue her. Ever."

"I didn't know the contract was about that!" Ruka exclaimed.

"Yeah, you didn't read it properly because you were so engrossed by her, inevitably falling for her ploy."

Ruka shut his eyes, as if trying to forget what happened that faithful day. He remembered meeting up in a cafe with Hotaru the day after they met. It was to follow up with the favor he owed her. When he saw her, she was smiling gently at him as she shyly tucked her short black hair behind her ears. Then, she sat beside him and gave him a paper. He thought she wanted an autograph so he was even embarrassed when he signed it.

"Looking back, it was really mortifying, what I did... so humiliating! I can't believe I was attracted to her." Ruka complained. "When I finished signing the paper, she immediately took a photo of me! Then she laughed.." he hugged himself in fear, "It was an evil laugh Natsume! Then she.. she pointed out that what I actually signed was a contract! Then she left!"

Natsume threw his head back laughing, "Never judge a book by its cover, Ruka." He paused, "She was amusing though. She purposely acted that way just so she can throw you off guard!"

"Honestly, I can't imagine how hard life is for her friend." Ruka sighed. Then he turned to Natsume and said, "I'm so glad that you're not Hotaru. I wouldn't know what to do if you were like her."

"Speaking of.. do you remember her friend?" Natsume asked.

Ruka nodded, "Yeah. I can still remember what she looks like. Why?"

"What's the color of her eyes?"

Ruka tilted his head to the side, "Eyes? Why would you want to know?"

Natsume shrugged, "Just curious."

"Hmm.. From what I remember, I believe it was br–"

Their conversation was cut short when the door suddenly opened. Just as they turned their heads to the door, the sound of a camera was heard.

_Click click click_

The instant the traumatized Ruka heard the sound, he covered his ears and dived under the table.

Natsume rolled his eyes and kicked him lightly in the butt, "Oy oy. You look pathetic. Stop it."

Ruka refused to budge and shut his eyes tightly.

The girl who entered giggled as she walked towards the two. She bent down to Ruka's level and asked, "What's wrong Ruka?"

Ruka opened one of his eyes after hearing the familiar voice. He saw a raven-haired girl smiling at him. Natsume's sister. "A-A-Aoi!" he stammered, then hit his head on the table. "Ow!"

Aoi just laughed as she took a picture of Ruka's humiliating moment.

.

The siblings relocated to a nearby cafe after the incident at the dressing room. Even though both of them were famous in their own right, no one bothered them in this place. The cafe they were at was different than the usual ones. It offered private rooms for people like them who wanted their own peace. Ruka was invited to come with them, but he had other manager errands to attend to so he left first. The siblings knew though that he was just too embarrassed to join them.

"Don't look at me like that." Natsume said as he sipped his coffee.

Aoi blinked a couple of times before asking, "Did I hear that right?"

He rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yes."

"Wow brother!" Aoi grinned as she clapped her hands, "You actually have a heart?"

"Oy!"

She laughed, "I was kidding! But seriously, I never thought that the day would come when you'd ask a favor regarding our company!"

"I never thought the day would come too," he mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. So can you do it?"

"Of course!" Aoi answered. She was the vice-president of their company after all! Even if she doesn't look like it, Aoi is an accomplished woman. She graduated at the top of her class in the most prestigious university in Tokyo. Everyone in the company admired her because she didn't use her connections to instantly get to the top. Despite their family owning the business, she insisted to start at the bottom to learn the basics and to show everyone that she has the skill. From there, she worked her way up. In a span of two years, she was able to get to where she was now. "You did something for me this morning too! So what's your favor?"

"The people who weren't able to get to their job interviews today..."

"You want me to give them a second chance?" she asked, finishing his sentence for him.

"Exactly."

Aoi placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands, "Why?"

Natsume pressed his lips together into a thin line, "I was hoping you wouldn't ask me that."

"Come on!" she insisted, "I want to know why. It's the first time you're asking me for a favor! If you don't tell me, then I won't do it!"

"Just let this one pass, Aoi."

She stuck out her tongue, "Deal or no deal brother." Then she grinned. She knew he would tell her.

"Fine." He sighed, "I was the reason why one of them couldn't make it." In reality, Natsume felt bad for being the reason why the girl he met didn't make it to her interview. The girl was pissed when she was accusing him but, "That girl, she seemed like she was really sad that she didn't make it."

"Ohhh. So it's a girl," Aoi teased. Then she paused, "But wait, why didn't you just tell me to employ her directly?"

"I don't know her name."

She slammed her hand on the table, "WHAT? You don't know her name? You?"

"Nope. For her, I was 'the bringer of misfortune.' She probably doesn't even care that I'm _me_."

Aoi gasped, "B-but!" Then she started talking dramatically, "But you are THE Natsume Hyuuga! Without you asking for it, all the girls tell you their names! They even put their names together with yours. With a heart! They throw themselves at you everywhere you go! Even her, S-s.. what's her name again? Wait, never mind."

Natsume chuckled when he was reminded of what the girl threw at him, "She 'threw' me a punch."

With that, Aoi's jaw dropped, "She punched you?" She laughed heartily after, "Man! What an interesting girl! Okay brother. You just got yourself a deal- I'll talk to the department involved immediately. I hope she gets in! Whoever she is!"

"Thank you, Aoi. But remember.."

"Yes yes. Not to tell our family that you asked this favor. I know."

Natsume gave her a small smile, one he rarely showed people. A comfortable silence passed between them after that. Despite being siblings, the two of them barely see each other because of the circumstances in their family. And even though they saw each other that morning, their meeting didn't even last ten minutes. He just helped her out with a few business contracts. He wasn't even allowed to do so, but they managed to keep it a secret.

Aoi smiled wistfully at her brother and asked, "Hey, won't you come back home?"

"We already talked about this."

"Honestly, I don't get why you're still in the entertainment business," she confessed. "You're already 24, and you have better credentials than I have. You help me out when I'm having trouble in the company, but you never let anyone know. Brother, our grandfather is getting older. You're the best candidate to inherit the company! Even more so than our father."

He ran a hand through his hair, "You're already aware of the reason why I don't want to."

"Everyone wants you to come back, you know. In the house. In the company."

Natsume remained silent. Before they can continue their conversation, there was a knock on the door. A man wearing a black suit and tie entered the room. He bowed to the two of them.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation sir," he said.

Natsume, back to his cold persona, just nodded at him.

The man turned to Aoi, "It's getting late, Miss. We must go home now." He bowed once more to Natsume before he left.

Aoi frowned, clearly upset that she had to go. She turned to her brother, "Sorry. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Natsume smiled, "You know where to find me."

.

.

.

Mikan stared at the sunglasses on the table in front of her. She was currently at the cafe where she was dragged off to by Natsume. She absentmindedly played with the sunglasses. When he abruptly left yesterday, she instantly felt bad for her attitude towards him. She took the sunglasses he dropped on the pavement and kept it, in hopes of returning it to him when she saw him next.

She lightly hit herself on her head, ashamed of her behavior. It was the first time she acted that way, punching and accusing someone else. If her grandfather found out, he would have scolded her.

She flinched, already imagining what would happen to her if he finds out.

Mikan sighed, but she remembered the things Natsume did.

He almost stole her first kiss!

He was the reason why she had to clean Hotaru's apartment!

He made her miss her interview!

But...

She spilled her drink in his clothes.

She shouted to the world that he was a pervert.

She was the reason he was brought to the police station.

She punched him! On the face.

"Hotaru told me before that a model's face is his life..." she said to herself.

Mikan groaned. Then, she decided that the next time she sees him, she has to apologize for her actions. It was the right thing to do after all, as she had brought misfortune to him as well. She has to give back his sunglasses too.

The question though is, when will she see him again? It's so rare to see celebrities in public. She was probably already lucky to have seen him for quite a few times now.

She sighed once more.

All of a sudden, someone took the seat in front of her, "What's with the long face?"

Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw the man with a smile on his face. The cap he was wearing hid his hair. He looked familiar and so she asked, "Excuse me, have we met?"

The man gasped and put his hands over his heart as if in pain, "I can't believe you don't recognize me!" He took off his cap and grinned, "Remember now?"

When she saw his spiky dirty blonde hair, she immediately recognized him. "Ah!" she clasped her hands, "You helped me out yesterday!"

"That's right! I'm Kokoroyomi, by the way. You can call me Koko. You're Mikan, right?"

"Yes! Thank you again for your help! I was able to find it, and you described it well too." She spread her arms wide, "Huge sign that says Hyuuga Corporations, remember?"

Both of them laughed.

Then, Koko asked, "So how was your interview?"

Mikan's face dropped. She played with her hands, "I didn't make it.. Something unfor- I mean, something happened! So I wasn't able to make it."

He frowned at that, "There are other companies out there who would hire you, I'm sure."

"Yup! It's a shame though. Hyuuga Corporations is the best out of all of them. Based on my research anyway," she coyly smiled.

"You know what?" he started to say, "Maybe I can help you out! Wait, I'll call my friend to ask about it." He took his phone from his pocket and started to dial a number.

Mikan shook her head, "No no, it's okay! Really, Koko. It's fine!" In actuality, even if she really wanted to get in the company, it would be too much to ask for someone's help. Besides, she already got over it.

Well, trying to.

She tried to stop him from calling but he already had someone on the other line. He shushed her before speaking, "Hey, Nonoko!... How are you? I miss you!... Hehe okay, you caught me. I'll go straight to the point." Koko just winked at Mikan then turned back to his conversation, "Is Anna still working at the Human Resources department?... Oh really? Great! You see I have a friend who missed her interview yesterday... Huh? What? Really?... Okay okay. I'll tell her. Thanks! Bye!" When he put down the phone, he beamed at Mikan, "Everything's solved!"

She blinked, "What do you mean?"

"It means..." He leaned towards her, "You can go to the interview again! For real!"

Mikan asked in disbelief, "Really?"

"Yup! Just wait for their message. I think they're working on it now."

As if on cue, her phone rang once. A message was sent to her phone.

_Miss Sakura. Seeing as you weren't able to attend your interview yesterday, this message has been sent to inform you that you are given another chance. The interview will be held tomorrow at the same time. Please proceed to the HR Office. Reply with your full name for confirmation. Thank you._

She shouted in glee, "Koko! My lifesaver!" She immediately messaged back her full name, thanking them for another opportunity.

He smiled, happy for his new-found friend, "It's not really because of-"

"Thank you!" she held his hands, "Thank you! I'll go now! I have to prepare for it! I'll make sure I won't get lost this time!" She swiped the sunglasses off the table, and got her bag. She took off, skipping away happily.

"me..." Koko finished.

Oh well.

He's just glad he was able to help someone out. He noticed though that the sunglasses she had seemed familiar. 'Was that...?' he thought. Then he dismissed that thought immediately, "Nah. It's impossible. It would be too coincidental if that sunglasses turned out to be his."

.

.

.

"In our company, our employees are given a chance to make their own projects. If your project is good enough, the company would help you make that project into a reality. So for your last question. If you are hired, what kind of project would you make?" the interviewer asked.

Before answering the question, Mikan thought hard. A project? A project for who? She really wanted to join this corporation because of the numerous projects they launched that helped the community. She wanted to do the same for a long time now, and she realized that the company would help her in achieving this.

Mikan smiled, "I'll be honest. At the moment, I don't have a specific project in mind. However, I would like my project to be for the greater good of other people. I want to be of service to others, and if you hire me, I will make sure that the company would be known to a lot of people – if not to everyone, as a company that doesn't only think about money. I would make it known that the company would like a lot of people to benefit from its projects as well."

The interviewer smiled back at her, "That was a good answer. Thank you, Ms. Sakura, for coming to the interview."

"No no," she shook her head. "Thank you for giving me another chance, Ms. Anna."

Anna led Mikan out the door, "We would inform you of the results as soon as possible. I hope to see you around, Mikan."

"Me too. Thank you for your time!"

.

Mikan was on cloud nine. She was daydreaming about her interview that morning as she rested at the bench in the park near her apartment. It was one of her favorite spots in the neighborhood. The sun was setting and everything around her was peaceful.

She smiled to herself, glad that everything went to plan accordingly. She closed her eyes and thought about her day. When she saw the interior of Hyuuga Corporations, she already felt happy and at home. The employees were nice and courteous. While waiting for her turn, she heard that the bosses were kind to everyone. A lot of people were also given chances to improve their lives. Taking into account the company's ideals, she was even more convinced that it was the perfect place to work at.

She could only wish for the best.

As she continued ruminating about the company, she suddenly heard a voice.

"Hey."

When she opened her eyes, she was given the surprise of a lifetime. Natsume was there, squatting down in front of her.

She yelped, slapping a hand over her pounding heart. "You scared me."

Natsume smirked at her and stood up. He put his hands inside his jeans pocket. He looked at her with an amused expression. "Who would have thought..." he said.

Mikan merely stared up at him, seeing him in all his glory. She never looked at him properly before because of their unusual meetings. But here, where she can soak in all of him without disturbances, she was surprised at herself for finding him attractive. His raven black hair complemented his complexion. His crimson eyes looked even more amazing. His body looked like it was sculpted to perfection.

This man is handsome, without a doubt.

No.

He is gorgeous.

Feeling his intense gaze at her, Mikan's cheeks turned all shades of red. It was the first time she felt under scrutiny by a beautiful person such as him, and it unnerved her. Realizing that she was ogling him, she shook her head and cleared her 'impure' thoughts. No, she wouldn't let herself get pulled in by his appearance. She was way better than that.

She decided to start the conversation as the silence was becoming unbearable. It was awkward. And so she smiled up to him, the first genuine one she had given ever since they first met. "So, we meet again."

He was taken aback by that. He glanced elsewhere, avoiding her eyes. "Yeah."

Then she stood up and said, "I know I behaved badly the last time we met. And after thinking about it, I just wanted to say sorry for everything. I was out of line.. Well, way out of line."

"That's all you want to say?"

"I know I'm a nobody in your eyes but," She hesitated before she continued, "I want us to start over. Let's forget all the bad things that occurred between us, okay?"

"You want us to be friends?" he asked, surprised.

She clasped her hands and looked at him, her eyes shining. "Yes. We had a bad start, didn't we?" When she saw him looking skeptical, she quickly added, "I'm not being presumptuous! We don't have to be friends _friends_. I just want us to start over in a clean slate. Let's pretend that I didn't spill my drink all over you and pretend that you didn't drag me away from my interview. And of course, everything else that followed after that." She wanted to say, _pretend you didn't kiss me_, but she didn't want to make things even more awkward between them.

Natsume contemplated what she said for a moment then he nodded, "Your name?" He uttered it out as if it were foreign words.

She grinned and held out her hand. As she did, she told him, "Oh! You don't have to worry about the interview! Thanks to my friend, I was able to get another one! He really was my lifesaver!"

Natsume was about to shake it but when he heard what she said, his lips turned into a grim line. Annoyed with the turn of events, he turned his back against her and started walking away without a word.

Mikan's mouth twitched. She retracted her hand. She was being nice already! She muttered to herself, "Seriously! I was trying to patch things up and he just walked away?" What is with this person and his mood swings?

When he was a few meters away from her, Mikan suddenly had an idea. She frantically dug out his sunglasses from her bag. Her eyes narrowed at Natsume's retreating figure as she held his belonging in her hand. She knew it was petty but she had to get back at him.

And so, with all her strength, she threw it at the back of his head.

"Ow!"

Bullseye!

She whooped and pumped her fist in the air. She stopped celebrating though when he turned around with a hand over the spot she hit. He yelled, "What the hell?"

"Just returning what's yours!" she yelled back. "And..."

She grabbed her bag from the bench. Before leaving, she continued what she was saying with a finger pointed at her face.

"I'm Mikan Sakura, you jerk!"

* * *

AN: Let me hear your thoughts! Reviews please? :)


	5. Misunderstanding

**Fortuity**

Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter took long. Thank you so much to the people who reviewed!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE! All characters from Gakuen Alice are owned by Higuchi Tachibana.

* * *

"Mikan!"

Mikan peeled her eyes away from the monitor and glanced around to find the person who called her. She saw Anna waving her hand across the room, urging her to come closer. Mikan immediately stood up from her desk and walked towards her.

When she was a couple of steps away, she asked, "Is something the matter, Anna?"

Anna nodded at her, "Sorry I have to ask you to do this!" She handed Mikan a couple of folders, "These documents have to be signed by the President today. I can't find Nonoko anywhere, and I have a meeting to attend to in a bit. Can you bring it up to the President's office for me?"

Mikan smiled at her and held the folders with care, "Sure! I'm almost done with my work for today anyway. Just editing minor details."

"Thank you! You're a big help!"

"No problem, Anna." Mikan giggled, "We've been working together for almost a month now, so you can rely on me!"

Anna grinned at that, "I've been relying on you way too much Mikan!" Then she sighed before continuing, "I really hope you wouldn't get transferred to another department though. Ever since you started working for the Human Resources team, we haven't had any mishaps. I wouldn't know what to do next without you giving your ideas once in a while! You communicate with the other employees well too!"

Mikan rolled her eyes, "Stop exaggerating!" But just like her friend, Mikan wished she wouldn't get transferred to another team. The day after her interview with Hyuuga Corporations, Anna called her to congratulate her. She heard that they were really impressed with her credentials and with her interview that's why she was hired immediately. She was assigned to Anna's department as a temporary employee and ever since then, she grew fond of her.

Checking her watch, Mikan asked, "Should we start walking to our destinations?"

Anna nodded as stood up from her seat, grabbing the papers in front of her. She waved a hand towards the door and both girls made their way out. Walking side by side along the hallway of the 15th floor, they reminisced about the days that went by since Mikan started to work for them.

When they reached the elevators, Anna turned to Mikan. "Well, I'm going this way," she said as she pointed to the right hallway. "Get those documents signed, alright? The President's office is on the 30th floor."

"Yup! I'll see you later then? I hope your meeting finishes earlier though, it's almost 5."

Anna raised an eyebrow at that, "It's November 20, Mikan. The meeting would take longer than usual." When she saw the confused look her friend gave her, Anna shook her head and laughed. "Remember? The performance evaluation is today."

"Oh. I'll see you next week then! I'm meeting up with my best friend after work so I'll leave after I'm done with this."

Anna just smiled and waved goodbye before going to her meeting. Mikan then turned to the elevator and pressed the up button. While waiting, she glanced at Anna's retreating figure. The moment she saw her enter the meeting room, she sighed. The performance evaluation will determine her permanent place in the company. Honestly, until now, Mikan couldn't believe she's been working for a month already. The month passed by so quickly that she didn't even notice! 'Maybe that's the reason why Hotaru wanted to go out today,' she thought.

Lost in her thoughts, she was startled by the sound of the elevator doors opening. Composing herself, she entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 30th floor.

As the elevator doors started to close, she heard a voice shouting, "Hold the doors, please!" She immediately pressed the open door button and heard the clacking of heels rushing towards her. The woman who shouted hurriedly entered the small compartment, thanking her for waiting up while pressing the button for the 29th floor.

When the elevator doors finally shut, awkward silence filled the space between them. It didn't last long however, for the woman turned to Mikan and smiled, "Thank you again. I'm Aoi, by the way."

When Mikan saw her, she was mesmerized with her appearance. She was a tall girl with smooth fair skin, complimented by her shoulder length raven hair with bangs just cut above her eyes. She was also wearing a blue dress with a blazer over.

She's beautiful, Mikan observed. Plus, she looks very professional.

The woman's eyes caught her attention though.

She knew it was rude to stare but she felt like the girl's appearance was familiar.

Too familiar.

She looks just like Natsume.

That jerk.

The woman in front of her tilted her head to the side and asked, "You know my brother?"

Mikan's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her free hand, realizing that she had voiced her thoughts out loud. "O-oh. N-no. Not really," she stuttered out.

Aoi raised an eyebrow, "But when you spoke his name, it sounded like you knew him."

"Uh.. You can say that I guess."

"He's your friend?"

"No!" Mikan denied, her voice louder than usual. She then realized how that sounded and in her normal voice, she managed to say, "Uh.. we're acquainted?"

Aoi just smiled at her words, "You're probably the only one who looks like you don't want to know him." Her smile got bigger, "Interesting. Are you sure there isn't anything more to your relationship?"

Mikan nodded, almost too eagerly. "I'm sure! That's it. We're just acquainted. Not planning on seeing him ever again."

Aoi only laughed at her words.

"But wait." Mikan's eyebrows furrowed, "He's your brother?!"

"Yup."

"I find it hard to believe. From what I can see, you seem like a really nice person." Silently, she muttered, "And that person is the most disagreeable person I've ever met."

"Pardon?"

Mikan immediately shook her head, "Nothing. I didn't say anything."

Aoi gave her a small smile before saying, "You're a new employee, aren't you?"

"Yes! I just got hired a month ago."

Upon hearing that, Aoi stayed silent for a moment. The gears started turning inside her head. She clasped her hands in front of her chest as if she had discovered something important. She beamed at Mikan, "A month ago!"

It was at that moment when the doors opened, arriving on the 29th floor. Aoi happily skipped out of the elevator. She turned back towards Mikan, "What's your name?"

Mikan smiled at her and introduced herself, "I'm Mikan Sakura!"

Aoi grinned and waved at her, "I'll see you soon, Mikan."

And then the elevator doors closed.

.

When the doors opened at the 30th floor, Mikan stepped out into the narrow hallway. There was only one door so she immediately made her way towards it. As she walked, she noticed several picture frames hanging on the white walls. She didn't know who these people were, but she inferred that these people might be related to the president of the company. When she was near the door, she stopped in front of the portraits. In the portrait, there was a beautiful woman sitting down with two identical children by her side. "Maybe these are the grandchildren of the president? So cute!"

She smiled before she moved on. When she opened the door, she found herself in a huge, spacious bright lobby. The floors were a combination of white and gray marble, and the walls were made of glass. The floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded the room gave a panoramic view of the city. In her right, there was a frosted glass partition that is probably the president's main office. To her left, there was a glass-walled meeting room. There were two desks in the middle of the room that were made of granite. Near the desks, there were also black leather chairs and a coffee table. Strangely though, there was no one around the room.

"Wow," Mikan breathed out. It was her first time on this floor, and she was amazed by how different it looked like from her office. "I thought my floor was nice, but this is even better!" She rushed towards the window and gazed in awe. She thought the view on her floor was great, but this was astounding. All the buildings she could see glowed under the afternoon sun.

'How I wish I could watch the sunset from here!' she excitedly thought. She can already imagine it, the city slowly being covered with the nighttime cloak. One by one, the lights would start to sparkle. She dreamily sighed, "I hope I get to see it someday!"

Turning back, she saw a familiar figure walking towards one of the desks. "Yuu?"

Yuu smiled upon seeing her, "Mikan! What brings you here?"

She walked towards him and handed him the folders Anna gave her, "Anna sent me on an errand. The President has to sign these documents according to her."

"Thanks! But where's Nonoko? She's usually the one who hands these kinds of documents to me."

"Anna couldn't find her so she assigned the task to me. Were you hoping to see Nonoko?" Mikan teasingly asked.

Yuu shook his head, "What are you talking about? I was just used to seeing her."

Mikan smiled, "I'm just kidding! I know you've been trying to go far Anna. What's with always inviting her out for lunch dates and such."

Immediately after she said that, Yuu blushed. Adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat, he tried to change the subject, "Anyway, I'm really glad to see you Mikan. I was so surprised to hear that you got in the company!"

"Imagine my surprise when Anna told me that you were the President's secretary! I knew you worked around here, but I didn't know it was this one!"

"It was just by luck. The President was good enough to give me a job."

"Heh, luck?" Mikan shook her head, "He's the one lucky to have you!"

Both of them conversed for a bit, but after a while, Yuu excused himself. Apologizing to her, he said, "I'm really sorry. The performance evaluation is today and I have to finish up a lot of things here."

"It's okay Yuu, it's time for me to leave anyway. Besides, I have to finish up too so I wouldn't be late. I'm meeting up with Hotaru you know."

Yuu apologized to her once more and asked her to send his regards to Hotaru before they parted ways.

.

.

.

The moment Mikan entered the coffee shop, she looked around the area in search for Hotaru. Thankfully, she spotted her immediately sitting near the back of the shop. She was about to make her way towards her when she noticed that she wasn't alone.

Sitting with her is Ruka and a blonde woman. 'Who is she?'

Mikan crept closer to observe without interrupting them. Glancing around the area, she saw a small corridor near them that probably led to the bathroom. She dashed to the corridor and decided to stay there to eavesdrop on them. From where she stood, Mikan could barely hear their conversation. She did hear Ruka address the woman as his mother, however.

Wait. Mother?!

Mikan's jaw dropped.

Hotaru is meeting up with Ruka and his mother? What for? Why?

Instead of panicking about the situation, Mikan decided to continue listening in to them. Although of course, all she can hear are snippets of their conversation.

"Mom! I'm... serious... about... her... invite her... to our house... I... want her to see... other...s!"

Mikan's eyes widened at that. He's serious about her? He wants to invite her to his family's house to see the others? Were they already in that point in their relationship?

How come Hotaru never told her anything? Heck, she thought Hotaru was only thinking of Ruka as her source of money!

Whoops, if Hotaru knew she thought of her that way, she would be pissed.

Well, maybe not.

Hotaru's shameless enough that if Mikan asked her that, she would've said the same thing about Ruka.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Ruka's mom squeal in glee. She glanced at the table once more and she saw Ruka's mom holding onto Hotaru's hands. What is going on here? She listened again as she talked.

"Ahh I saw... Hotaru... You... beautiful... you... at the house. Please... I... want... Ruka to... happy... Thank you."

Wow! Hotaru's already been approved by his mom? Well, Hotaru really is beautiful, especially when she dresses up! But really, wow. Hotaru's being invited to the house already?

Sneaking a glance, she saw Hotaru give Ruka's mom a small smile. She failed to notice the glint that was in her eyes though.

Shit. Is this for real?

Is her best friend really together with Ruka?

What in the world happened between them?

Love blossomed... because of _that_ contract?!

Is Ruka a masochist or something?

Mikan started to inch closer to the edge of the corridor to hear more when all of a sudden, her arm was pulled back by someone from behind. She let out a tiny "eek!" when her face hit someone's broad chest. Glancing up, she saw Natsume staring down at her with a smirk on his face.

"Is eavesdropping one of your hobbies?" he asked.

Mikan bit her lower lip. Of all the people who could have seen her, why did it have to be him? She crossed her arms and glared off to the side, "None of your business."

Natsume leaned on his shoulder against the wall, "Actually, it is my business since you're eavesdropping on the conversation of my manager."

"W-what.. I-" Caught, she tried to deny his allegations. "What are you talking about? Why would I do that? You think I'd do that?"

"Yes. I caught you."

"You must have seen wrong then."

"I've been observing you for the past..." He briefly looked at his watch, "...5 minutes." When he saw Mikan about to retort, he said, "I couldn't say anything because you seemed to focused on listening to their conversation."

"Okay, I admit. I was eavesdropping. But not to your manager's conversation."

"Then, who?"

"Huh?"

"Whose conversation were you listening in to?"

"U-uh.." Without turning around, she blindly pointed at a random table behind her. "Their conversation! I was just curious you know. Hehe." She started fiddling with her hands.

Raising an eyebrow, he blankly stated, "No one's sitting there, _you know_."

Eep!

Mikan quickly turned around and indeed, in the direction she pointed at, there was no one. Crap! Even though she has no idea why her eavesdropping was a big deal, she felt like she needed to escape. Before she even managed to take a step though, Natsume trapped her against the wall.

"Don't even try to escape, little girl," he whispered.

Looking up at him, she thought that the situation was eerily familiar. What's worse, she can feel the heat rising up in her cheeks due to their close proximity.

Ugh. 'Get a grip of yourself, Mikan. Don't look at his eyes, don't look at his eyes!' she thought to herself. Her eyes darted around, avoiding his. In the end though, she couldn't help but meet his gaze. Even though she hates his guts, she loved his eyes and she doesn't even know why.

They stayed in that position for a while, staring into each other's eyes.

It was also in that moment that recognition dawned on Natsume. He thought that it was impossible because he clearly remembered seeing her orange-colored eyes under the sun.

However, in the dim lighting of the corridor, her eyes weren't orange.

It was brown.

It was still the same large innocent eyes that stared back at him that day.

She was the girl at the alley.

How blind can he be?

The moment was interrupted when they heard a cough at the side. Both of them turned their heads at the same time, and they saw the store manager looking at them with a smile.

"Um.. I know that you're both in love, but please refrain from doing that sort of thing in this corridor. It leads to the bathroom, as you can see, and the customers need to use it too." He stepped away and revealed the long line of customers forming from behind him.

Almost immediately, Mikan pushed Natsume away from her and bowed to the manager in apology. She could hear the crowd whispering among each other, even hearing Natsume's name being mentioned by one of them. Despite being recognized, Natsume couldn't care less.

Mikan decided to do a little damage control by saying, "It's a misunderstanding! We're not in love!"

The manager laughed, "That's what they all say Miss! It's okay." He told them to stop denying their feelings for each other before going back to work.

Then, without warning, Natsume grabbed Mikan's hand and led her out of the coffee shop.

.

_15 minutes before. The conversation Mikan didn't hear correctly._

Hotaru sipped her coffee as she waited for Mikan to arrive. Glancing down at her watch, she thought that she'd wait for ten minutes before calling Mikan's phone to remind her of their meeting.

Bored, Hotaru looked around the coffee shop when she saw Ruka step in with Natsume and a blonde woman. They made their way to the counter to purchase their drinks. It wasn't anything interesting so she stopped looking at the trio and glanced at her watch again. She decided to wait in silence.

In the corner of her eye, however, she saw the blonde woman making her way towards her. She didn't think much of it until the woman stopped beside her and spoke, "Are you Hotaru?"

Hotaru stared at her and asked, "Yes. Do I know you?"

The woman sat beside her and slightly shook her head, "No. But I'm glad to finally meet you." The woman called Ruka and Natsume over. Both of them walked over with their purchases.

The moment Ruka sat down, he mumbled, "I really didn't want to be here.."

Natsume, on the other hand, just kept silent.

The woman smiled at Ruka and then turned back to look at her. Hotaru didn't say anything but instead, she merely observed the attractive woman before her. And based on her observations, the woman was probably Ruka's mother. Even though Hotaru minded the intrusion, she didn't make them leave. Despite her attitude, she still respected those who are older than her.

Ruka cleared her throat, "Hotaru. This is my mother. Mom, this is Hotaru."

Hotaru gave a small smile to Mrs. Nogi as they shook hands. She asked, "Can I help you with anything?"

"Nothing really, I just wanted to meet you. I've heard a lot of things about you from my son."

Raising an eyebrow, Hotaru turned to Ruka, "And what, may I ask, are the things you've heard?" Did he really tattle on her on his mother? What kind of a grown-up person does that?

Before Mrs. Nogi can say anything, Natsume stood up and excused himself. Mrs. Nogi asked him where he was going and he told her that he was just going to the bathroom. It was at that moment that Hotaru mouthed to Ruka, "Mama's boy."

Ruka flushed when he saw that. He vehemently denied it, "I didn't say anything! Don't think of me that way!"

"Really, Ruka. Don't even deny it."

"I swear. I'm a grown man. I handle my own problems."

"Problem? You consider me a problem? I'm making you even more popular."

"I didn't want to be."

Hotaru just smirked at him as Mrs. Nogi looked at the two of them bickering. She giggled, "You two match."

Upon hearing that, the both of them said "No!" simultaneously.

Honestly, in Hotaru's mind, Ruka's like a walking atm machine. Just one picture and she'd earn enough money that will last her for a few days.

"How can you think that way, mom?" Ruka asked.

The mother and son started talking to each other when Hotaru saw Mikan going inside the coffee shop. When her friend didn't approach or call her attention, Hotaru wondered why. Glancing at the pair in front of her, 'Ah. That's why.' She pretended not to see her friend try to stealthily come closer to them.

'You call that stealth?'

Eventually, Mikan made her way to the corridor and out of her sight. Knowing that she was eavesdropping, Hotaru decided to feed her friend's curiosity. Catching Mrs. Nogi's attention, she asked, "Why did you want to meet me?"

Mrs. Nogi looked at her tenderly, "Please, come over to our house."

"_Mom!_" Ruka whined, "_I'm_ going crazy here. _Serious_ly, we talked _about_ this. _Her!_ The contract! Why did you _invite her_ over _to our house? I_ don't _want her to see_ my old pictures and get ideas about _other_ thing_s!_"

_Click click click_

Ruka stared wide-eyed as Hotaru took a picture of him. Then, Hotaru calmly put the camera back in her bag as if nothing happened.

Seeing that, Mrs. Nogi squealed in glee. She held Hotaru's hand as she told her, "_Ahh I saw_ the pictures, _Hotaru. You_'ve captured Ruka's good angles. It was _beautiful!_ If you want, _you_ can copy more of his pictures_ at the house. Please,_ I insist. _I_ always _want_ed _Ruka to_ go modeling you know, but he's _happy _to be a manager instead. Imagine my pain! I wanted everyone to see the beauty of my son. So _thank you._"

Ah, so this is why Mrs. Nogi wanted to meet her. What a strange woman.

Hotaru smiled at her. If she had heard it correctly, she mentioned that she'd be willing to show her Ruka's old photos. A glint appeared in her eye, just thinking about it made her want to be friends with this woman already. "When?" she asked, almost too eagerly.

Mrs. Nogi's smile grew wider, "Oh! Anytime you want, dear. Do you want to go tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow sounds fine. In exchange, I'll send you all the photos I have of him."

"Oh dear," Mrs. Nogi let out a laugh. "Actually, I bought all the photos already!"

"Then, I'll be giving you the next photos I take of him for free."

"Really? You're such a nice girl."

"Don't mention it. You'll be doing me a great favor. Should we exchange contact details?"

Seeing Hotaru and her mom bond, Ruka felt like his mom sold his soul to the devil. This was a bad idea. What is his mom getting him into?

Why did he decide to stop for coffee at this place?

And of all places, why is this money-loving woman here?

Deflated, his head dropped down on the table.

After exchanging contact details, Hotaru noticed that a crowd was forming in front of the corridor leading to the bathroom. Wasn't Mikan there?

She was about to excuse herself from the table to check it out when she saw Natsume dragging her friend away from the corridor and out of the shop. Her eyebrows furrowed, were they that close? The last time they talked, Mikan told her that she hated him and painted him in mostly a negative light.

Did she get herself into trouble again?

Hotaru stood up from her seat, ready to go help out her friend. However, when she was about to call out Mikan's attention, she saw her cover her reddened face with her free hand.

Hmm. Interesting.

It seems like her friend is not telling her everything after all.

"Is something the matter?" Mrs. Nogi suddenly asked, wondering why Hotaru stood up from her seat.

"It's nothing." Hotaru sat back down and gave her a small smile, "So, tomorrow?"

.

.

.

_Present_

"That was so embarrassing!" Mikan groaned as they stepped onto the street.

Natsume took a quick glance at her as her free hand remained planted on her face. He smirked then continued to drag her across the street to the parking lot.

Realizing that Natsume was holding her hand, Mikan tried to pull it away. Natsume's hold on her tightened when she did. Knowing that she was no match to his strength, she just followed after him against her will.

When they reached a red sports car, he let go of her hand and opened the passenger door. "Get in," he said, almost as if it was an order.

Instead of doing what she's told, Mikan remained where she stood. "No!" She will not get in a car with him! Imagine how awkward the silence would be!

Tapping his car, he asked, "Really? You don't want to get in? When's the next time you'd get to ride a car like this, huh?"

Mikan gulped. Actually, the moment she realized that it was his car, she wanted to jump in. She's not a materialistic person, but come on! She's only seen cars like these in movies. Never in her whole life did she imagine that she'd be asked to ride one.

She kept on wavering whether she wanted to ride or not. In the end, she still refused to get in. "No! I don't even know you!"

"We've met a couple of times now, I'm sure you know me."

"That's not what I meant! I meant, I don't know _who_ you are. What if you're a chainsaw killer or something? You tempt me to ride your car then the next thing we know is that I'm dead and my body is somewhere in the mountains!"

Natsume rolled his eyes, "You have such a wild imagination."

"I'm just being cautious," she said as she crossed her arms.

"I'm a model. I'm not bragging but people from everywhere recognize me. Do you honestly think I'd do that to you?"

She pointed at him, "That's even worse! What if your fans see? I'd get a lot of hate the moment they see me riding in your car."

"Really? Then what about the other girls who rode my car? Where are their haters? That probably would have made the news, don't you think?" Actually, he never really let girls ride this car. The only exception would be Aoi.

"U-uh.." Running out of excuses, Mikan just admitted to him the truth, "Fine. I'm serious. I don't know you. We're just acquainted and we don't know each other that much. It'll be one awkward car ride for sure. So if you don't mind, I'll get going."

"Okay. Fine. I mean, I'm sure you'll _have_ a chance to ride something like this again," he said sarcastically.

Slowly, he started closing the passenger door, "Too bad, I just wanted to let you experience it. And I wanted to make it up to you for last time."

Shit, what was he saying?

In reality, he just wanted to talk to her more. He will never admit that to her though. Mikan sure got his interest, what's with her spunk and attitude.

All of a sudden, Mikan rushed towards him and stopped him from closing the door, "Well, if you really want to make it up to me, you can at least bring me home?"

"Huh? Didn't you say you're going to go?"

"I changed my mind!" Then, she shamelessly let herself in.

Closing the door, he walked towards the driver's side and entered the car.

Mikan gave him the directions to her home. Then, after making sure that their seat belts were attached, Natsume started the engine and drove off.

Just as she predicted, an awkward silence ensued in the car. And instead of trying to strike up a conversation with Natsume, she turned her attention outside, the silence becoming even more unbearable at each passing moment.

Taking a deep breath, Mikan decided to be the 'better person' and start the conversation between the two of them. She won't admit it to him, but she actually wants to be friends. That's just the kind of person she is. But, she will only consider him as one if the word _friends_ comes out of his mouth.

When she was about to say something, Natsume's phone rang. Fishing it out from his pocket, he glanced at the screen before throwing it to the back of the car.

"Why did you do that?" Mikan asked, genuinely curious.

He just shrugged, "I just don't want to deal with her now."

"Her? Who?"

When Natsume didn't reply, Mikan reached for his discarded phone. She checked to see who called. "Sumire Shouda? Why would she call you?"

Natsume sighed. Then after waiting for a full minute, he answered her, "I'm her boyfriend."

It took several seconds before it sunk in for Mikan.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

AN: Please please review! Please tell me what you think! :)


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